Prime Minister Modi Meets Indian Pilot Injured in Flydubai Cockpit Attack
Yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot who was stabbed during a cockpit attack on a flydubai flight carrying over 170 people.
Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, who flies for flydubai, was stabbed during a cockpit intrusion on one of the airline's flights but managed to land the aircraft safely despite his injuries. He is being hailed as a hero for saving the lives on board. Prime Minister Narendra Modi subsequently interacted with Captain Machchhar. In a separate development, the Ministry of Defence signed an Rs 811 crore contract with Bharat Dynamics Limited for 160 Satellite Smart Anti Airfield Weapons for the Indian Air Force.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke by video call on Friday with Captain Smit Machchhar, the flydubai commander who was stabbed in the cockpit of a Tel Aviv-bound flight earlier this week and managed to open the secured door while still under attack, allowing passengers and relief crew to subdue the assailant and land the aircraft safely in Saudi Arabia (Reuters India). The interaction, confirmed by the Prime Minister's Office, came a day after the UAE described the mid-air episode on flight FZ1073 as a "terrorist act" and ordered a specialised investigation into the motives and any possible links to terrorist activity or prior planning (Google News India).
Machchhar, a 41-year-old Mumbai native with more than 9,750 flying hours, recounted to Modi that he had collapsed from his injuries and was lying on the cockpit floor when he felt the Boeing 737 enter a steep descent (Google News India). "I had suffered so many injuries that I had collapsed. At that time, I could feel that the aircraft was going down. I knew this was the last push," he told the prime minister, adding that he recited the Hanuman Chalisa for strength (Google News India). According to the pilot's account, the Omani co-pilot stabbed him repeatedly and put the jet into a dive that saw it lose roughly 14,000 feet in 29 seconds, with some reports citing a drop of 17,000 feet in about a minute (Indian Express, Google News India). Despite the assault continuing, Machchhar reached the door release, opening it so that passengers — including three Israeli travellers — and two additional pilots on board could enter, restrain the attacker and stabilise the aircraft (Google News India). The ordeal lasted approximately four hours before the plane touched down at Tabuk Airport, where Saudi authorities arrested the co-pilot (AP India, Google News India).
The flight had departed Dubai International Airport on Wednesday carrying over 170 passengers and crew (Indian Express). Flydubai said crew members intervened and secured the aircraft, which was diverted to Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia (Google News India). Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Machchhar as a "true hero" and said an initial background investigation indicated the co-pilot had undergone "Islamic radical indoctrination" (Google News India). Netanyahu added that Israel would cooperate with the UAE on the investigation and that the attacker would be sent back to the Emirates for further probing (Google News India). Modi told Machchhar his actions had prevented a "great tragedy" and made the country proud (Google News India). The pilot, a father of two who joined flydubai in 2022 after a career that included SpiceJet and training in New Zealand, said he was beginning to feel proud of himself for the first time since the attack and viewed his wounds as "a journey" he was confident of recovering from (Google News India). The UAE's investigation continues to examine all circumstances, motives and any possible terrorist connections (Google News India).
AP India·Indian Express·PIB